West Virginia's offense has Syracuse University football team thinking 'air raid' (video)

SU Football: D-Coordinator Shafer on West Virginia Syracuse University Defensive Coordinator/Secondary Coach Scott Shafer talks with SU football beat writer Nolan Weidner about the approach the Orange defense will take against the West Virginia Mountaineers in their Big East clash in the Carrier Dome on Friday night.

Syracuse, NY -- Those who supply the pre-game music in the Carrier Dome might want to look for something with air-raid sirens in it.

That would set the tone for what the Syracuse University football team expects tonight when No. 11 West Virginia (5-1, 1-0) brings it’s aerial attack into the Dome to face the Orange (4-2, 0-1). Kickoff is 8 p.m. and the game will be televised on ESPN.

The Mountaineers have expanded their spread offense under first-year coach Dana Holgorsen. WVU puts the ball in the air 43 times per game – including a team-record 65 passes in a Sept. 24 loss to top-ranked LSU.

Quarterback Geno Smith threw for a team-record 463 yards in that game, then came back with a 450-yard effort two weeks ago in a 43-16 conquest of Connecticut – good for second on the all-time Mountaineer passing list.

It’s enough to cause nightmares for a defensive coordinator, but SU’s Scott Shafer said the only thing he’s suffered so far is pain in his right arm.

“My arm’s sore from throwing a lot of deep balls,” said Shafer, who also serves as the Orange defensive backs coach.

As a former college quarterback, Shafer always plays that role during practice drills with Orange defensive backs. Shafer has spent a lot of practice time since SU’s last game Oct. 8 trying to “train the eyes” of his secondary, which has struggled to prevent big plays through the air.

The focus, he said, “more than anything is making sure they understand where they’re supposed to be, when they’re supposed to be there, and how this offense is going to try to attack us.”

“I really believe that if we can get their eyes right, their feet and hands will follow,” Shafer said.

Junior free safety Phillip Thomas, whose eight tackles and key goal-line interception of Smith helped the Orange keep a lid on the Mountaineers’ spread offense in a 19-14 upset last season at Morgantown, found it hard to contain his excitement at the prospect of facing an even better version of the WVU quarterback.

“Geno Smith, he’s launching it, like a rocket … like a mad scientist,” Thomas said. “Man, he throws, like, 50 deep balls a game. And we all know that.”

Shafer said it was one thing to stifle a Mountaineers’ offense that came into last year’s game averaging 376 yards (227 through the air) and trying to slow down this year’s version, one that averages 503 yards (380 passing) and 40.8 points.

“I think the biggest thing is trying to do a good job with variety … change things up … make it look like you’re going to run one thing and then come with something else,” he said.

Thomas said limiting Smith’s options is definitely a key for the Orange defense.

“You’ve got to keep messing with his head the whole game,” he said. “We can’t let him get in his groove, because once he gets in his groove he’s an elite quarterback.”

SU will get a boost from the return of defensive end Chandler Jones and Olando Fisher, a backup strong safety who is a key player in the Orange's Okie defensive packages and on special teams. But the offense also will have to do its part by scoring points and controlling the ball.

Orange head coach Doug Marrone said that while holding the ball is always important, the time-of-possession factor comes into sharper focus against teams with high-powered offenses.

“It’s always been the goal of an offense to drive down the field and score, obviously. But when you play these types of teams that are explosive, there’s more emphasis (on holding the ball), because everyone realizes that when this team gets on the field that they can be explosive,” he said.

Offensive tackle Justin Pugh said SU doesn’t have to match West Virginia’s flash, just its tenacity.

“You come out and punch a team in the mouth, and you play physical football like we like to play,” he said. “The ball’s in our court. If we execute and do what we have to do, I think we’ll be all right.”